William M. Briggs

7-Year-Old Suspended For Carrying Unlicensed Pop Tart: Update

Did you feel it? The latest lurch towards insanity happened in Baltimore, where seven-year-old Josh Welch was suspended from school for eating a Pop Tart. Turns out he bit off…

Culture Fun

What Day Most Changed History?

Such was the title of The Atlantic's "The Big Question" column of March, 2013. This is the sort of piece one finds uppermost in the toilet's magazine rack. So now…

Fun Statistics

On Dowsing—Guest Post by Ray Kidd

I dug a one-meter square test pit outside an 18th century ruined cottage. A "dowser" invited to test his powers stood beside the pit dangling a bob on a string.…

Statistics

Science Can Tell If You’re A Racist Just By Looking At You

George Carlin used to advise those who wanted to avoid jury duty to tell the judge, "Don't worry about me, your honor. I can tell guilty people---<snap!>---just like that!" We…

Statistics

The Second & Third Most Depressing Graphs: The Encroachment Of Government

Update This stays top for today because we're still waiting for some regulars to chime in and because I'm busy. Here is federal government spending as a fraction of the…

Culture Statistics

The Most Depressing Graph: Per Capita Federal Spending Rises Alarmingly: Update

There is no more saddening picture of the progress of government than this one (the second & third most depressing graphs are here): This is the amount of money the…

Fun Statistics

Best Movie Oscar Prediction Via Statistical Modeling: Update, The Model Wins

Update I humbly accept your congratulations. Argo will win Oscar for Best Picture, according to our non-patented, statistically significant almost-mathematical computer model. The key reasons for its victory will be:…

Fun Statistics

Science Proves Farting On Airplanes, Exposing Buttocks To Sun Healthy

According to the latest in medical science, I sat next or near to an exceptionally healthy individual on my last flight. My keen olfactory senses alerted me that a fellow…

John Pate on Reading Bryan Johnson’s The Immortalism ManifestoOctober 27, 2026
I long ago concluded that people like this are only fit for laughing and pointing at. They are mentally ill…
C-Marie on Reading Bryan Johnson’s The Immortalism ManifestoOctober 27, 2026
And, Jesus Christ? Lord and Saviour .... So sad, leaving out God our Father .... And the Holy Spirit ....…
Cary Cotterman on Reading Bryan Johnson’s The Immortalism ManifestoOctober 26, 2026
I'm probably going to croak sometime within the next twenty years, but at least I have the pleasure of being…
Tars Tarkas on Reading Bryan Johnson’s The Immortalism ManifestoOctober 26, 2026
There are thousand year old machines in England still capable of running, though not in general use. I saw a…
NLR on Reading Bryan Johnson’s The Immortalism ManifestoOctober 26, 2026
All of this is vast speculation. Is it possible for people to live much longer, hundreds of years? Maybe so.…

William M. Briggs

Reading Bryan Johnson’s The Immortalism Manifesto

Class 98: Limitations of Genetic Associations With Personality

I’m Thinking Of A Number Between 1 and 5 (that you can’t guess)

Against Numerology: Some Basic Calculations

Class 97: The Goal Of Models

Book Update

Sexual Assault Galore At Cornell

Class 96: Can Bayesianism Quantify True Belief?

Top 10 Reasons AI Will Never Become Superintelligence: It Won’t Destroy Nor Save Us

Viewer Asks: Why Do I Bother?

Academics Call For The Killing Of Babies In “After-Birth” Abortions

Irrational Rationalists: Effective Altruists & The Planet of the Ants

Class 95: Answering P-Value Good Uses Challenges

Whoring For Climate Change

Lady Academics Tire Of Being Judged By Peer Review

Class 94: Quantifying The Unquantifiable

PFAS and Preservatives: Entrenching Chemophobia through Everyday Stuff — Guest Post by Jaap Hanekamp

The MRS Degree — Guest Post by Johnathan Edwards

Politicians Demand “Right” To Be Protected Against AI

Class 93: P-values Challenge! List The “Good Uses” of P-value

Is the West Dying Out? The Demographic Crisis Explained: Jon Harris Podcast

Reading Bryan Johnson’s The Immortalism Manifesto

Class 98: Limitations of Genetic Associations With Personality

7-Year-Old Suspended For Carrying Unlicensed Pop Tart: Update

What Day Most Changed History?

On Dowsing—Guest Post by Ray Kidd

Science Can Tell If You’re A Racist Just By Looking At You

The Second & Third Most Depressing Graphs: The Encroachment Of Government

The Most Depressing Graph: Per Capita Federal Spending Rises Alarmingly: Update

Best Movie Oscar Prediction Via Statistical Modeling: Update, The Model Wins

Science Proves Farting On Airplanes, Exposing Buttocks To Sun Healthy

There Is No Culture Without Inequality: Stove 1

Impose Your Beliefs Before They Impose Theirs

Telekinesis: Ideas In Our Reenchantment & Rectification

The Physics Of Blessings: Ideas In Our Reenchantment & Rectification